Canvas-covered cot and process of stretching the canvas thereon



July 14, 1925.

R. COOPERSMlTH owns covsnnn 001' AND Pndcnss 'OF s'rnmcnme THE CANVAS 'rusnson Filed Aug. 15, 1921 2 Shouts-Shoot 1 "Jul 14, 1925. 1,545,882

R- COOPERSMITH CANVAS COVERED GOT AND PROCESS OF STRETCHING THE CANVA$ THBREON 2115a Aug. 15, 1921 2-au2a-snaez 2 I 7% o O (I 8 9 Pa Inventor arranged with one flange facing inwardly diate sections, whereby said legs are adapted te fold underneath the cot-frame.

The side and end marginal portions of the canvas covering C are formed with doubledoyer portions in the form of hems 12. Positioned within these hems are strips, of metal 113, a The covering is secured to the upper surfaces of thehorizontal flangesof the side and end rails of the cot-frameby means of 'stove bolts 14, which pass through, alined holes in said horizontal flanges and in the securing strips. The use of an intermediate strip and two end strips is required on each side of theframe to permit folding of the end sections, a sufficient space being left between the adjacent ends of the end and inter-.

mediate strips for this purpose. The use of the strips 13for securing the side and end margins of the canvas coveringto the cotframe results in an evendistribution' of the pulling strains ofthe canvas and prevents tearing of the canvasat-the securing bolts when the canvas is drawn tight.

The process of assembling. the cot is as follows; The cot-frame is initially madeof 2 a width greater than is desired forthe finished cot, and the leg-frames are also made of a width that will permit the upper ends of' theoutermost flanges of the legsto lap the outer flanges of the side ,rails of the cot,

, or, if desired, the-legs maybe setat an an gle, as shown in Fig.3, whereby the width of the .base'of. the frame is approximately 7 that desired for the finished cot and the widthof the upper end corresponds to the initial width of the cot-frame. The legframes are thenpivotally, secured to the side rails of the cot-frame. Theside rails are then drawninwardly towards each other, preferablyby means .of clamps, a distance I that will permit the boltholes in the secur ing strips 12 in the side hems 13 of the canvas covering to register with the bolt holes in the siderails. The canvas covering is then secured to the side and endrails of the coteframe by meansof the bolts 14. By reason of the connections between the leg-frames and the bed-frame, theaction of drawing the side rails of the cot frame inwardly, causes the upper ends of the legsto be, drawn inwardly, thereby straining the cross-members!) of the leg-frames and also 7 the end rails 4, thereby causing said crosspieces andsaid end rails to bow down= wardly. The pressure on the side rails is then released and the bowed cross-members and end-railstend to'straighten, which action spreadsapart the side rails thereby stretching the canvas ther'ebetween.

The distance that the side rails are permitted to spread depends on the strength of the canvas. The initialwidth of the canvas issuch that with a maximum amount of stretch-3' ing the cross-members of the leg-frames and the end members of the cotframe will re:

main slightly bowed, thus placing the canvas under a constant state of tension.

Obviously, the hereinbefore described construction admits of considerable modification without departing from the invention and I do not wish to be limited to theexact form of cot shown and described. 7 r i rlclaimz' 1. A cot comprising an open frame formed of connected side and lend rails, a fabric covering therefor, the marginalpor tions of said covering being formed with hems, stiff reinforcing strips'in said hems, and means disposed at intervals and passing; through said strips and said side and end rails for securing said covering to. the frame," and leg frames each comprisinglegs secured; to, the respective side rails, a single crossg member connecting said legs and adapted to be bowed to maintain tension in said cove ering, and braces extending obliquelyfrom said legs to said cross-member. 2. A. cot -.comprising an open frame; formed of connected metallic side and end rails, a canvas covering therefor, the mar gins of. said covering beingv formedrwith hems, metallic reinforcing strips insai hems, and means for securingthereinforced hem portions of the covering-to the frame at intervals throughout its border, and. leg frames each comprising legs secured to the respective side rails, a singlec'ros's-member secured to said legs below the, tops thereof and corner braces extending from the top portions of each of said'legs to said cross-; member, whereby. the bowing of said leg frames downwardly prior to the fastening, I

of the canvas covering maintains said' can-. vas under tension. e u

3. The process ofstretching canvas on a cot-frame comprising connected metallic side and end rails, which consists in drawing the side rails of the frame closer, to,-. gether throughout their length thanis desiredfor the finished frame, whereby the end rails are bowed downwardly slightly, securing the canvas tosaid side rails, and then releasing said side rails, whereby the tendency of the bowed end rails to straighten spreads said side rails and stretchesthe can-v vas therebetween. r 4:. The process of stretching canvason a cot-frame comprising an open frame formed of side and end rails and supported by legs secured to the opposite sides of said frame, the legs at each end being connected together by a single metallic cross-member and both connected also to said cross-memher by oblique braces, which consists in drawing the side rails of said frame closer together throughout their length than is desired forthe finished frame, whereby the 10 end rails of the frame and the cross-members connecting the legs are bowed downwardly slightly, securing the canvas to the side rails and then releasing said side rails, whereby the tendency of the bowed end rails and the cross-members to straighten spreads said side rails and stretches the canvas therebetween.

Signed at St. Louis, Missouri, this 11th day of August, 1921.

RUDOLPH OOOPE RSMITH. 

